Cover Story
Is Austin’s New Arts Umbrella Organization Just in Time or Too Little, Too Late?
After two decades of treating culture and creativity as an afterthought, the city of Austin finally has a real arts department
Day Trips & Beyond: May Events Roundup
Warm up for summer with frozen margs and fests around Texas
After Six Years in Jail, Charges Dropped Against Devonte Amerson
Prosecutors never had eyewitnesses, video, DNA, or fingerprints
Field Guide Festival Returns With Huge Portions and Huge Passion
Food fest celebrates local chefs and farmers
Momma Are Officially Rock Stars
Indie rockers’ second headline tour lands at Mohawk Sunday
Austin FC and Urban Heat Launch Merch Collab
Team Verde reps local post-punks
Updated: SXSW Announces Penske EVP as New Festival Head
Jenny Connelly replaces ousted longtime head Hugh Forrest
The Skylark Lounge Is Closing This Weekend
Beloved Airport Boulevard venue’s farewell shows are to be announced
Local Jane Austen Scholar’s Latest Work? A Graphic Novel
Janine Barchas’ The Novel Life of Jane Austen is out April 29
Austin FC Shut Out in Copa Tejas Opener
Shorthanded squad falls to Houston Dynamo, 2-0
Huge Changes in SXSW Leadership
Fest boss Hugh Forrest among several high-profile departures
Bjork: Cornucopia
Bjork: Cornucopia 2025, NR, 120 min. Directed by Isold Uggadottir. Concert film recorded live in Lisbon covers the breadth of the Icelandic powerhouse’s discography.
The White House Effect
The White House Effect 2025, NR, 96 min. Directed by Bonni Cohen, Pedro Kos, Jon Shenk. Through archival footage, documentary examines George H.W. Bush’s 1988 pledge to address the greenhouse effect and how his administration, and the continued politicization of the climate crisis, failed to meet the moment.
Love & Pop
Love & Pop 1998, NR, 110 min. Directed by Hideaki Anno. Japanese coming of age film is based on a novel by Ryū Murakami and marked the firstlive action feature film from Neon Genesis Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno.
Seeds
Seeds 2025, NR, 123 min. Directed by Brittany Shyne. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival for Best Documentary Film, Seeds explores the lives of generational Black farmers in the South and the longstanding, systemic racism that complicates their relationship to the land.
Mistress Dispeller
Mistress Dispeller 2024, NR, 94 min. Directed by Elizabeth Lo. Documentary tracks what happens when a woman in China, suspecting her husband of infidelity, hires a a professional “mistress dispeller” skilled at bringing extramarital affairs to an end.
Sabbath Queen
Sabbath Queen 2025, NR, 105 min. Directed by Sandi Dubowski. Documentary charts how Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, son of a long dynasty of Orthodox rabbis, forges his own path as a drag queen and founder of an experimental, nondenominational congregation called Lab/Shul.
An American Pastoral
An American Pastoral 2025, NR, 118 min. Directed by Auberi Edler. A French filmmaker provides a unique, outsider perspective on a community in Western Pennsylvania, where conservative activists seek country of the local school district’s libraries and curriculums.
Hell Drivers
Hell Drivers 1967, NR, 108 min. Directed by Cy Endfield, Starring Stanley Baker, Patrick McGoohan, Herbert Lom, Sean Connery. British film noir about an ex-con who falls in with a group of dangerous lorry drivers.
APD Chief Lisa Davis Reorganizes Department Top Brass
Only three assistant chiefs from previous admin staying on
The Accountant 2
Ben Affleck’s unlikely action hero is back … but why?
Until Dawn
Survival horror inspired by a video game
Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie
Stoner comedy legends reunite for road doc
The Legend of Ochi
Storytelling sorcery meets movie magic in this A24 fantasy adventure
The Shrouds
Cronenberg contemplates grief and decay
Queens of Drama
Glittercore black comedy goes all out on style
On Swift Horses
Eisenhower-era LGBTQ romance
Free Will Astrology
Your weekly horoscope, April 25 – May 1
Theatre Review: Queer Madness and Mayhem in Lipstick
Austin Rainbow Theatre’s production is a fast, frantic farce
The Luv Doc: On Top of Ol’ Sulky
Who knew masculinity could be such a fragile flower?
Opinion: Toxins and Trauma – The Silent Threat to Austin’s Kids
Austin needs stronger air quality policies, green spaces, and public health measures that prioritize equity and protect vulnerable youth
BLM Protester Shot In Face With Beanbag Round in 2020 Loses Eye in Surgery
Sam Kirsch was one of many injured by police in May 2020
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
Dark factories in China are fully roboticized and automated. Because they operate without human workers, traditional lighting is not needed. What did John Pershing, Kit Carson, and Billy the Kid have in common? At one point in their lives, they each called Fort Stanton, New Mexico, home. When carving Mount Rushmore, Luigi Del Bianco was…
Why Austin’s Progressive Rep. Greg Casar Is Visiting Republican Districts
Casar, an odd choice to reach moderates, talks strategy
Restaurant Review: Micklethwait Craft Meats’ Freshly Opened Brick-and-Mortar
Food truck’s long-awaited Springdale shop keeps up the standard of excellence
AISD Superintendent Considers Moving Hundreds of Students From Dobie to Lamar Middle School
Parents and staff worry as AISD avoids possible state takeover
Blank Hellscape Crafts Five Years of Intricate Demos Into Hell 2
Your favorite local band’s favorite local band emerges with sophomore album
Suburban Voters Head to the Polls
Nearby city councils, school board seats, and bonds on the ballot
The Verde Report: Can Late Goal Shake Brandon Vazquez Out of Scoring Slump?
Generally speaking, sports are beautifully binary. The pitch is either a strike or a ball. The pass is either caught or dropped. The serve is either in or out. Soccer is different. No action exists in a vacuum, and nothing is as simple as pass-fail. Each pass is only as successful as its ability to…
Headlines / Quote of the Week
Don’t Drink That Water: The deadly algae is back! Scientists from the city’s Watershed Protection Department recently spotted the blue-green algae, cyanobacteria is the official name, at Red Bud Isle on Lady Bird Lake. The algae will likely proliferate in coming months and is toxic to mammals if ingested. Don’t let your dogs eat it!…
Psych, Blues, and Conjunto Festivals Headline Our Crucial Concerts
This week’s recommended live offerings
Art Prom, Pup Crawl, Eeyore’s Birthday, and More Recommended Events
A smattering of ways to fill your weekend
Jokers, Murders, and Walpurgisnacht in This Week’s Recommended Events
Arts and culture events to populate your weekdays
Texas Burlesque Festival Takes It All Off
This year’s celebration celebrates diversity, freedom, and glove peels
Day Trips: SandFest, Port Aransas
Gulf Coast sand sculpture competition is the place to see some sandy feats
Qmmunity: Springtime Socializing
Here, take these LGBTQ events to protect you against the incoming horrors
